Sign in with Facebook"Neither American nor European City :-)" Top 5 Page for this destination Washington D.C. by matcrazy1
Washington D.C. Travel Guide: 5,536 reviews and 14,554 photos
I didn't know a lot about the capital of the USA before my visit in 2004. First of all, I wanted to see the two symbols of the only world's superpower: the Capitol and the White House. I have watched them thousands times on TV. It is interesting that TV wizzards (unfairly in all channels!) tend to enlarge the White House and reduce the Capitol building on my TV screen. Well, I knew also about the Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon but technically they were located across the Potomac River, NOT in DC but in Arlington, Virginia. Well, it's an American speciality to divide one city into a few and never combine a few cities, located one by one, into one. They love freedom :-).
Living in Poland, on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain I, a teenager that time, paradoxically could watch Washington, DC more often than Moscow in so-called "Polish" TV. However I could only watch the sea of never ending slums (where to hell they had found them in DC ?) and hear all the time about unbelievable poverty, the world's highest crime rate, continous ethnic violence, thousands of homeless families, prostitutes, drug/alcohol addicted, street children etc. etc. From time to time I could watch peaceful demostrations against "imperialistic US government" brutally pacified by "rude and violent police". Washington was real hell and the worst place on our planet in my TV, radio and newspapers until 1989. This irritating and certainly false Soviet propaganda was spread daily through all mass media but somehow couldn't influence me. Right opposite, my young heart wanted to free from "the heaven" I was told to live in to '"the hell" of the USA and its "awful, imperialistic" capital. It was a dream that time! In 1980' I had never thought that this kiddy dream would ever come true during my life.
My best memory from Washington, D.C. is time which I spent together with great VT-friends:
- Kathy from Dallas, Texas (Kodi01)
- Kristi from Chicago, Illinois (Dabs)
- Tania from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (skye820),
- Chris from Atlanta, Georgia (balfor)
- Kent from Fairfax, Virginia (Kentbein)
- Nat from Richmond, Virginia (b1bob).
First, it was very moving that these friends came from so far and wide to meet us... Then, they welcomed us on American soil like we were a king and queen or a rock star. We had great time... I'm speechless.. Let's meet again... Welcome to Poland.
On the picture (from the left):
- Kathy.
- Kent,
- Urszula (matcrazy0),
- Tania,
- Chris,
- Kristi.
Details on our Washington VT-meeting are put in my Nightlife tips and travelogues titled "We". Welcome :-)
Read my, the only one, Tourist Trap tip, please.
I've put up four pages on the US capital, this one and the following ones:
- Georgetown
- Cleveland Park
- United States Navy Memorial
Apart from that the highlights are included in my General Tips of which the following ones are described in details in my Things to Do tips:
1. United States Capitol
2. Supreme Court of the United States
3. White House
4. National Archives
5. National Museum of the American Indian
6. National Air and Space Museum
7. National Gallery of Art
8. Lincoln Memorial
9. Korean War Veterans Memorial
10. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Pros:It's the Federal City! VT-ers I've met, countless free of charge tourist attractions, convenient public transportation
- Cons:It's the Federal City! Burning in summer, freezing in winter!
- In a nutshell:Take a week or two off, keep smiling and go! DC awaits!
Reviews (288)
My congratulation
Things to Do
(169)
If you read this tip, my the last Washington, DC Things to Do tip you just probably have gone through all or most my... more travel advice
Vietnam Memorial - the Memorial Wall
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(169)
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial consists of three separate parts: the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial,... more travel advice
The Three Soldiers
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(169)
After a visit to the Lincoln Memorial I saw the Vietnam Veterans Memorial information kiosk just northeast of the... more travel advice
Korean War
Things to Do
(169)
The main part of the Korea War Veterans Memorial is in the form of a triangle with 19 stainless steel statues designed... more travel advice
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Comments (49)
Great page on Wash DC Matt... I may finally get there is this summer. I think your VT pic is as old as mine..;-) Karl
HI matt ...Thanks for sharing the memories of this part of Washington...great tips with fine pics..cheers Denny
great job! i wanted to take a quick break and more than 1 hr later i was still reading your pages :) i hope to have at least as much fun as you did when i will be visiting there. thanks for sharing your experiences!
Matt...back to your DC page again. Glad I broke the rule and returned to Poland... and met you again. Hope you return to DC one day to continue exploring that fabulous city. It's worth a dozen trips.
Hi Matt - came to see Poland and am lured back to a nostalgic tour of D.C. w/you. Will always return....... Ciao, Carol
thanks for this extensive information on D.C.! Helped me remember some of the things I saw there back in 2006 and even learn new stuff about the city :) carry on the amazing work :)
Excellent page and descriptions of the area. Glad you got to visit.
Happy Birthday Maciek! I hope you have a wonderful day today. :-)
Hi :) Thank you for posting and sharing. I am glad I found your page on DC - your pictures are very informative and good quality
You are the front cover of the VT website today March 9, 2008. I glad you did! You deserved it! Your travelsite is really cool! joiwatani